Manchester United brought their Premier League season to a close with a comeback victory over Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with the Red Devils running out 2-1 winners to secure third place ahead of Newcastle United.
Following that final-day triumph, manager Erik ten Hag issued a rallying cry to the Old Trafford crowd ahead of this weekend's FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City, with the Dutchman stating that his side have a "really good chance" of bettering their rivals at Wembley.
Looking past the upcoming showpiece, however, the former Ajax boss is seemingly aware that it will take further additions if the club are to compete with the likes of City next season and beyond, with the 53-year-old having outlined the need to ''invest'' this summer.
According to reports in Spain, one investment that Ten Hag and co could make is with regard to the signing of Real Madrid sensation, Vinicius Jr, with the Carabao Cup winners said to be willing to fork out around €150m (£130m) on the Brazilian international.
That apparent interest from United comes amid reports that the 22-year-old could be looking to secure an exit from the Bernabeu after suffering abhorrent racist abuse in La Liga this season, having spent the last five years in the Spanish capital.
Should Man United sign Vincius Jr?
If there is any small chance that the Red Devils could sign the fleet-footed "phenomenon" – as hailed by Madrid teammate Karim Benzema – then they should certainly pounce, with the young winger having established himself as arguably the "best in the world", according to manager, Carlo Ancelotti.
That glowing praise has come amid the former Flamengo man's stunning form in recent seasons, having provided 44 goal involvements in just 54 games across all fronts this season, after previously chipping in with 42 goals and assists in 52 outings last term.
To be producing the goods on a consistent basis at such a young age is a testament to the 5 foot 9 gem's quality, with it undoubtedly set to be a real coup as far as Ten Hag is concerned if a deal can be wrapped up.
One man who may well be sweating amid the prospect of that signing, however, is Marcus Rashford, with the club's leading scorer predominantly operating on the left flank – much like Vinicius.
If the deal is to be agreed for the Madrid star, it could then be the case that Rashford – who has scored 30 goals so far this season – is re-housed elsewhere in the side, potentially offering a long-term solution at centre-forward.
In fact, that shift could well help to get the best out of the Englishman, as he has scored 11 goals in just 18 appearances as a striker this term – as per Transfermarkt – while bagging 16 goals from 31 outings in his usual left-wing role.
The academy graduate – who burst onto the scene back in 2016 as a number nine – has also received the backing of club legend Gary Neville as a central striker, with the Sky Sports pundit stating earlier this year that the 25-year-old "hasn't got the subtlety" to play off the left, while going on to add:
"Rashford's good at running in behind people, and driving at people, and that's what has happened in the last couple of weeks. Playing centre-forward is a lot less complicated for Rashford."
Therefore, rather than splashing the cash on the likes of Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen, Ten Hag could use those funds to bring in Vinicius on the flanks, while in turn promoting Rashford to a leading role through the middle as the spearhead of the attack.